New Delhi: The Mumbai Press Club on Saturday (March 25) criticized former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for allegedly rebuking a journalist during a press conference at his party office in Delhi. Gandhi allegedly called the journalist a ‘BJP worker’.
#WATCH | "Don’t pretend to be a pressman…Kyun hawa nikal gayi?", says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to a journalist questioning him on his conviction in 'Modi surname' case pic.twitter.com/SdaaUeraoy
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2023
At the press conference, the reporter asked Gandhi a question, after which he said, “Why are you working directly for the BJP? If you want to work for the BJP, wear the BJP badge. Don’t pretend to be a pressman.” … Why did the wind go out?”
The Mumbai Press Club released a statement on the incident and said, “Mr. Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the fourth pillar.”
Its statement read, “The job of a journalist is to ask questions and it is the duty of political leaders who call press conferences and engage with journalists to answer these questions with dignity and decorum. It is unfortunate that the leaders of one As the country’s oldest political party, Shri Gandhi failed to respect the dignity of the fourth pillar.”
“At a wider level, it is a matter of concern that political parties of all types are attempting to intimidate journalists by using abusive language and threats, as a response to news reporting they find distasteful. Appeal to the actors to uphold the freedom of the press to report and make critical comments. They must remember that the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression is the cornerstone of our democracy,” it further read.
On 25 March, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in New Delhi, a day after he was disqualified from Parliament following a conviction in a defamation case. Addressing the press conference, Rahul Gandhi said that he is not afraid of going to jail and will continue to raise the Adani issue.
Responding to the BJP leader’s remark that had Rahul Gandhi apologised, this situation would not have happened, the Congress leader said he is Gandhi, not Savarkar and Gandhi does not apologise. The former Congress president also said that he would write a letter to the people of Wayanad constituency to clear their apprehensions.